Agenda - Addressing the Human Rights Abuses in Xinjiang and the Protection of the Uyghur Minority 

 

UNHRC

Agenda: Addressing the Human Rights Abuses in Xinjiang and the Protection of the Uyghur Minority

 

At J.B. MUN 2025, delegates will deliberate on a critical and highly sensitive issue: the treatment of the Uyghur Muslim minority in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

 

For years, reports of restrictions on religious practices, heavy surveillance, and arbitrary detentions in Xinjiang have circulated, but by August 2018 the international community’s concern reached a turning point. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) released findings that up to one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities were being held in “counter-extremism centers” against their will. These revelations were corroborated by testimony, satellite imagery, and NGO reports, painting a picture of large-scale human rights violations.

 

China, however, categorically denied the existence of “camps,” framing its policies as necessary counter-terrorism and deradicalization measures. It argued that these programs were aimed at addressing violent separatism, citing incidents such as the Ürümqi riots of July 2009. This division immediately sparked polarized responses: Western states demanded transparency, investigations, and accountability, while many other countries, particularly those with close economic ties to China, voiced support for Beijing’s sovereignty and its right to manage internal security matters.

 

At this moment, the UNHRC faces urgent and complex questions: Should independent investigators be sent to Xinjiang? How can the Council address alleged abuses without overstepping state sovereignty? Do sanctions, monitoring mechanisms, or diplomatic engagement offer the best path forward?

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